I can't see any reason why Miki WOULD come back. They're not going to give her the national title over Mao, especially when it's an Olympic year, and she's unlikely to better her placement from the 2010 Olympics. Given the fact that she'll be 26 by 2014, even matching her previous 5th place finish will be a challenge.

I can't see any reason why Miki WOULD come back. They're not going to give her the national title over Mao, especially when it's an Olympic year, and she's unlikely to better her placement from the 2010 Olympics. Given the fact that she'll be 26 by 2014, even matching her previous 5th place finish will be a challenge.

Exactly, what would be the motivation to come back. Someone like Suzuki is just happy to skate in a 2nd Olympics so of course she has motivation to go for it, even though she isnt a contender for the Games anymore.

If Ando is back, Ando is a lot more likely to make it than Suzuki. Ando is multiple times world champion. Ando has big jumps. Ando can be in the top 5 if skated clean regardless of what anyone else does. Ando is boring, but reliable. Isn't Toyota her sponsor? She's the Toyota of the skating world. Boring, generic, well oiled, reliable, rated highly with the consumers, but not so highly with the enthusiasts. You know the deal. Oh my god, I just realized why Toyota picked her. So shrewd, these Toyota marketing genius. They want to associate their products with Ando. Oh snap!

LOL You are so funny, but so true.

Sad to see Akiko epic meltdown. Maybe she is injured or something???? The minute she took the position on ice, she looks so disconnected and after landing each jump, she looks so labor and in pain.

I'd love for Suzuki to have a Paul Wylie type of moment at the Olympics. I think she's in a good shape to make it - judges like her (albeit not at the same level of love they have for Asada, but certainly more than they like Murakami) and she's got the technical goods. She's just become more of a head case this season for some reason. In practices, she was doing absolutely clean run throughs to the point where I thought she was going to equal or better her bronze medal.

I'd love for Suzuki to have a Paul Wylie type of moment at the Olympics. I think she's in a good shape to make it - judges like her (albeit not at the same level of love they have for Asada, but certainly more than they like Murakami) and she's got the technical goods. She's just become more of a head case this season for some reason. In practices, she was doing absolutely clean run throughs to the point where I thought she was going to equal or better her bronze medal.

I can take solace in the fact that the 2006 Olympic Champion placed 9th at the Worlds prior.

Akiko may be the third ranked Japanese skater now with Mao coming back into her groove and Murakami finally performing up to snuff and the latter two are afforded mistakes while Suzuki has to skate perfectly.

However, had Akiko skated as well as she did earlier this season, she could have scored in the 190s and placed in the top five at Worlds. If she comes on strong this coming season, then I don't see why she couldn't be a strong contender for an Olympic spot. Depending on how Murakami and Mao do, Akiko might do better than the third spot coming into the Olympics. I think JSF knows her Worlds performance is an anomaly compared to how she was performing earlier on.

I think if Ando is back they might send her just for the endorsement money they would get having her at the Games. She will probably come in some awful result, something like 15h place, even her skating in winning the 2011 Worlds would do nothing against todays field (maybe finish as high as 5th if lucky), and I doubt she would even be close to that level. However they would rather send Ando to the Olympics to finish 15th than send Suzuki to finish 7th or 9th due to the extra money they would get just by sending her.

That said I dont think Ando has motivation to return at all, especialy seeing as she would be no threat for an Olympic medal even working herself to the bone, so Suzuki should be fairly safe. However if she has a bad skate at Nationals, which she has had several of lately, she will not be protected, and they will be more than happy to send a variety of up and comers or decent middle aged skaters in her place. She is not someone the JSF has any vested interest in protecting at this point, and if she wants to go to the Sochi Olympics she will need to skate very well at Nationals to confirm this happening.

Not sure what you are smoking ... endorsement money? Didn't skate at a high level in her last championship season? You mean when she by Yuna for the gold at the worlds?!?

If you don't like Miki, that is your choice ... but this logic is very flawed.

Yeah, I would understand it if last year the sent Mao because placements of the japanese ladies were all so high (3rd, 5th and 6th). But this time when Akiko was 12th at worlds it seems to be highly unlikely though I'd love to see her LP once again skated the best ever.

I hope that Miki Ando will not comeback.
Akiko Suzuki is my favorite female skater in term of artistry and presentation. Akiko deserve much more to be at Sochi than Miki.
And, Yes Akiko was 12th at this worlds championships but did you see her practice at worlds 2013, she skate clean most of the time, so I don't think that her time has past. She can deliver great performance and more memorable than Miki.